Brian Purchia

Co-founder

San Francisco, CA

Brian Purchia is the CEO and founder of Riff City Strategies and co-founder of CivicMakers. A long-time media and public policy strategist, he has led some of the most high profile efforts at the intersection of government and technology.

Brian is a strategic advisor for San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Civic Innovation and was the driving force behind the nation’s first open data law, open source software policy, and API for government. The media and public policy strategist also built the City of Porto Alegre, Brazil’s Office of Civic Innovation, modeled after the work he led for former San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. He has advised and led communications for tech start-ups, politicians, VCs, and civic tech organizations. Before opening his own communications and public policy firm, Brian worked in media, as a reporter in Washington, DC.